1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices supported at the top of vertically oriented poles, and, more particularly, to a device supported at the top of a vertically oriented pole that is especially adapted for use to catch and carry away unwanted water that is sprayed from a fire sprinkler when the fire sprinkler is spraying water at an unwanted time, such as when a fusible link on the fire sprinkler is accidentally broken.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The supporting of a number of devices at the top of a vertically oriented pole is well known in the art, and the following U.S. patent represents one of those devices: U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,048. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,048 discloses a garbage bag holder that is supported at the top of a vertically oriented pole. The device has an open mesh structure and, as a result, is not capable of serving as a container for a liquid, such as water. Fire sprinklers are most often mounted on a ceiling, and if a sprinkler is emitting water at an unwanted time, it would be desirable for a pole-mounted container to capture unwanted water flowing from a ceiling-mounted sprinkler.
Devices that serve as containers and that have liquid drainage capabilities are well known in the art, and the following U.S. patents represent some of these devices: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,373,547, 4,546,900, and 5,183,280. It is noted, however, that none of these devices is mounted at the top of a vertically oriented pole, and none of the these devices serves as a container and drain for water that is emitted from a ceiling-mounted sprinkler. Since unwanted water flowing from a sprinkler may quickly fill up a container, it would be desirable if a container for water flowing from a sprinkler also has a drainage feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,009 may be of interest for its disclosure of a fitting removal fluid discharge bag.
Still other features would be desirable in a fire sprinkler water catching apparatus. For example, water from a sprinkler that sprays into a funnel-like container may splash out from the container, it would be desirable if flexible flaps were provided on the funnel-like container to prevent water from splashing out from the container.
Since the heights of ceilings vary, and since the heights of people using the pole device of the present invention also vary, it would be desirable if the pole has a variably adjustable pole length.
At times, sprinklers are mounted on a vertically oriented surface, such as a wall. In this respect, it would be desirable if the device of the invention has adaptability to capture and drain water from wall-mounted sprinklers.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use containers have drainage features, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a fire sprinkler water catching apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a pole-mounted container to capture unwanted water flowing from a ceiling-mounted sprinkler; (2) provides a container for water flowing from a sprinkler wherein the container also has a drainage feature; (3) has flexible flaps on the funnel-like container to prevent water from splashing out from the container; (4) provides a pole which has a variably adjustable pole length; and (5) has adaptability to capture and drain water from wall-mounted sprinklers. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique fire sprinkler water catching apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.